Thorny Rememberances
Chapter 3
?Another awakening?? asked Ami surprised. ?How in the world
could there be any more awakenings? We?ve got Sailor Scouts coming
out of our ears. There aren?t even anymore planets to represent?at
least not that I'm aware of.?
?Negaverse?? asked Rei, eyes becoming serious and dark. ?I?ve
felt something coming, but I haven?t been able to get any clear
visions. I thought it was my imagination.?
?No, not Negaverse, but maybe just as dangerous. We?ve never
told you scouts, but there?s another Moon Princess,? said Atriums
joining Luna.
?How can there be another Moon Princess?? I don?t have any
sisters,? asked Serena making a face. ?Is this another princess from
the future or the past??
?No, Serena, not a relative of yours and not from another time
period. You know there is more than one moon in our system,? said
Luna shaking her head.
?Queen Serenity, Serena, your mother, sent Prince Darein, you
and the other Scouts to be born here on Earth. She wanted you to have
a chance for peace and happiness. She sent Luna and I to protect you,
and should the need arise; bring you together to protect the Earth and
the Solar System. She sent Darien?s four protectors from the Earth
Kingdom, but Queen Beryl got to them first. There were other?s who
were left behind, or so we thought.?
?Queen Beryl and the force which had possessed her, may not
have been the only evil at work when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed
in the past. We?ve hoped this was not the case, but now?we just
don?t know.? Luna shook her head.
?How do we know that there?s a new evil? How do we know that
this new princess is here?? asked Mina.
?Look at these energy readings for Tokyo.? Luna nudged some
papers in Mina?s directions with her small black paw. ?There?s an
energy burst pinpointed at different coordinates each day, sometimes
more than one. These are the same readings we got when energy was
being stolen by the Dark Kingdom, but these are on a smaller scale.
The person taking the energy may not even be aware they are absorbing
it. The person losing the energy probably becomes sleepy, passes out
or thinks they?re coming down with a cold.?
?We?ve compared days. There are several locations that are
duplicated, the library, the coffeehouse on the corner of Third and
Market, and this apartment complex,? said Artimus pointing a white
paw at the map.
?Will we recognize this new princess? And what the heck is she
the princess of, if it?s not Earth?s moon?? asked Rei.
?Well, you didn?t recognize each other at first. But you were
drawn to one another. If you do have any memories of her, they may
begin to resurface when you meet her. She probably won?t remember
you either,? answered Luna. ?I can?t recall what she looks like yet.?
?And to answer the rest of your question, Rei, she?s the
princess of Jupiter?s moon, Europa. Europa?s Kingdom was overcome
in a battle. No details of the battle were salvaged after the Moon
Kingdom was destroyed by Beryl. This princess was the sole survivor
of the war. She was a distant relative of Earth?s queen and was
raised there.?
?Raised on Earth?on Earth with Darien?? asked Serena. ?Would
he recognize her??
"Maybe. We should probably make him aware of the situation,?
suggested Artimus.
"Well, the bigger question seems to be ?why is this dangerous??
asked Mina. ?And how do we know it?s her??
?We have a feeling, like the one we had when we were help you
find one another. The feeling guided us to you. And this may not
be dangerous, but Queen Serenity did not bring the Princess of
Europa to the future. She was believed to have perished in the
battle on the Moon. If she is here by any other power, she may be
spiteful, possessed or any other of the boundless possibilities,?
answered Luna. ?Artimus and I are going over the details right now,
and we are monitoring the energy problem closely.?
Ami was the first to suggest a plan. ?We should check out
these places, note the times when we are there, and see if there is
any matching data the next day. It shouldn?t take us too long to
find this new princess.?
?I?m going to the hospital to tell Darien,? said Serena. ?He?s
there, visiting Lita.?
?Ooohhh,? admonished Rei. ?You?ll make any reason to go see
him. You should be going to one of these locations to look for the
princess. Like you?d know a princess if you saw one.?
?Well then,? she smiled, ?I?ll ask him to take me to the coffee
shop where there?s been energy stolen. He can buy me coffee and a
pastry.?
The other girls rolled their eyes knowingly as Serena flitted
down the stairs, off to meet Darien.
Meanwhile, at the hospital Darien kept Lita company. She was
glad to have a chance to finish the conversation they?d began the
previous night. Eventhough, she found it hard to talk about her
feelings. She felt herself blushing. Darien was trying so hard to
help her. He?d kept his promise about not telling the other?s she?d
been slipping out to look for trouble. He even seemed to understand
why, a little.
?Yes, you?re helping people, but at what risk. All people take
risks, calculated ones. I?d say you are trying to fight something
inside yourself. If that?s the case, then what you?re doing isn?t
going to fix the problem. What is it you?re fighting??
Lita felt surprisingly moved by the question. Tears burned her
eyes as she held them in.
?I dunno,? she said looking down. Am I lying? Do I know why I
was out fighting at night? Once again the tears began to drip onto
the hospital bed.
?Well, there?s no counseling groups for super heroes, but there
are other ways of finding out. Why don?t you talk to one of the
other scouts? I bet they have similar feelings, sometime.?
?No!? she said adamantly. ?They wouldn?t understand. They?re
not?? she was almost able to say it.
?They?re not alone.? Darien finished the sentence for her.
She looked up into his eyes. They were steady on hers.
?You?re not alone either. I?m not alone. We?re all family.
Maybe that?s not what you want to hear, but it?s the truth. A few years ago, before I met all of you guys, I felt alone. I just sorta sucked up inside myself. No one could reach me. I had to learn to accept the life I had and start building on it. It wasn?t easy. And it probably won?t be easy for you either, but I?ll help you.? He took her hand in his. ?I?m your family. I?m your friend. Let me help you through this.?
Lita didn?t know what to say. Darien was so nice, so handsome.
Any girl would have inflicted wounds to have him hold her hand the
way he did Lita?s. But Lita knew how devoted he was to Serena. His
words were sincere, though. She knew how lucky she was to count him
among her friends.
The door opened and Serena came strolling in. Darien flushed as
she eyed him holding Lita?s hand.
Instead of being jealous, she smiled. ?If anything could make
you feel better, Lita, that?d be it.? She leaned over and kissed
Darien?s cheek. ?How are you feeling today?? she asked.
Lita blushed again. ?I?m okay, and your right Darien did make
me feel better. Thank you,? she said sheepishly to him. ?I?ll think
about what you said.?
He smiled and rose to give the two girls some time together.
?No, stay. I have some Scout business that concerns both of you
,? she said seriously and she relayed the information Luna and
Artimus had imparted during the afternoon meeting.
As soon as Lita heard the words ?the Princess of the Moon
Europa, around Jupiter? she couldn?t think of anything else. She
tried hard to remember the princess; surely they?d been close if the
moon had circled her home planet.
Mina was just arriving as Darien and Serena were rising to
leave. He?d agreed to take her to the coffee shop where the energy
levels had fluctuated so drastically.
Lita asked them to keep her abreast of the situation on their
way out.
Serena held Darien?s hand as they walked towards Market Street
where the coffee shop was located. Darien?s mind seemed to be
elsewhere. She wished she could ask him about what he and Lita had
been talking about, but she learned a long time ago that Darien shares
things with her when he?s ready.
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand as if he knew she was
uneasy. She smiled back; reminding herself what a wonderful future
lay ahead for them. Most girls hoped they?d grow up and marry their
boyfriends, but she knew for sure. Having met their daughter, Rini,
from the future had brought their future into clear view. Not only
did they share the knowledge of their future, but also they shared a
power and desire, to protect Earth.
Inside the coffee shop, the couple found a booth in the corner
where they could watch the front door as well as the busy counter.
Serena sat across from Darien.
Students, locals and businessmen hustled in and out of the shop.
Soon a young waitress appeared at their table to take their orders.
?I?ll have a plain black cup of coffee,? said Darien.
Serena made a face like she?d tasted something bitter. ?Don?t
you have anything but coffee??
?Yes, ma?am. We have teas and cocoas. Would you like to see a
menu??
?No, tea will be fine, orange spice if you have any.?
The waitress smiled and scribbled a note on her pad before
disappearing behind the counter.
?Well Darien, supposedly you grew up with this new princess, do
you see anyone who seems familiar??
?No, no one. What about you? If I was close to her, you would
have been also.?
?No, me neither.? Serena had an uneasy feeling about the new
princess. Somehow, she knew that what Luna had said about danger
rang true in her head.
Soon the waitress returned with their drinks. She looked paler
than she previously had. Just as she was setting the tray on the
table she swooned into Darien?s lap unconscious.
Thinking quickly, he caught the young woman and laid her gently
in the booth where he?d been sitting.
?Oh my gosh!? exclaimed Serena looking around.
Darien checked the girl?s pulse. ?Someone get me a damp towel.
She?s just passed out,? he called to the onlookers.
Darien gave Serena a knowing look that told her he didn?t need
her help. She backed out of the gathering circle of curious people.
She scanned the room. No one appeared to be running away. She
checked slipped outside the front door of the shop where people walked
casually up and down the sidewalk. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
She went back inside, giving the people in the room one more survey.
There were plenty of girls, most of which had gone back to enjoying
their coffee and sweets, as Darien had revived the waitress and was
helping her to the backroom.
A moment later he returned alone.
?She?s all right,? he said to Serena. ?Fainted. I told her I
worked at the hospital, and then asked her a few questions. She has
no history of fainting, dizzy spells and she was a little offended
when I asked if she might be pregnant.?
?You didn?t!? exclaimed Serena.
?Well, I had to know. Pregnant women faint pretty easily.?
?Do you think her energy was stolen??
?Yeah, when I felt of her wrist, it was cold?almost icy. But,
her pulse was normal. I think when we check the readouts for this
place, we?ll find an energy surge.?
?I better write down the time,? said Serena looking at her
watch. ?I didn?t see anyone suspicious. But look around. There are
plenty of girls that are the right age. She may not know that she?s
stealing energy.?
Darien and Serena finished their drinks, trying to memorize as
many faces as they could before leaving.
Lita looked forward to the weekend, she was being released from
the hospital on Saturday. Eventhough she?d been through a lot in the
course of the week, she had missed her own bed, her own home and
especially her own cooking. She made a vow to herself not to go out
in the evenings, at least not until she?d completely healed.
Darien had told her to call him the next time she had an urge
to fight. He?d offered to spar with her if necessary. She
considered the option, but knew it wouldn?t be the same?no real
danger.
Rei and Mina helped her pack up her stuff at the hospital while
the nurse processed her exit paperwork.
?Man, would you look at all the flowers. For a girl with no
boyfriend, you sure are popular,? said Rei as she set the vases on a
cart.
?Yeah, who are all these from?? echoed Mina.
?Well, these are from the lady who almost got her finger cut
off,? she said pointing to a big flowering houseplant. ?And these
are from Serena?s folks. Those red roses are from the guy who had
sat next to me on the train. And the yellow ones are from Darien
and Serena. Of course the balloons are from you guys.?
?Wait, the guy who was sitting next to you on the train bought
you roses. Was he the guy I met in the recovery room waiting area??
asked Mina. ?The guy who said he wanted to take you to dinner??
?Yeah, I guess so.?
?He was cute.?
?Cute, huh?? smiled Rei.
?Ah, come on guys, he was just star struck because of what I
did,? shrugged Lita.
?I don?t know, didn?t you say he tried to strike up a
conversation with you before those punks even got on the train??
asked Mina.
"Yeah.?
?Well?? urged Rei. ?At least give him a call and thank him
for the beautiful flowers.?
I will. Geez you guys, let me get home before you start setting
me up on dates.? Lita laughed a little, holding her side when it
hurt.
Mina and Rei helped Lita downstairs where Mina?s mom was
waiting to drive them to Lita?s apartment.
Saturday afternoon, Darien had lain down to take a short nap
before going into work. He cracked the patio door of his apartment
a little, letting the chilly air fill the living room. His long legs
hung over the end of the sofa. Classical music played in the
background as he dozed. He?d had a hard time sleeping since Lita?s
accident. ?Is what Lita is feeling a little closer to home than I?m
willing to admit?? he?d wondered before dozing off.
He dreamed of his parents. Though he had no memories of them,
after the accident his mind had been wiped clean, he still had
impressions and photos. He knew in his heart what it had been like
to be with them, to be loved by them.
Then his dreams dipped further into his past, into his previous
life as Prince Darein of the Earth. He had impressions of those
parents too. But there was more, he had vague recollections of
Serena and the others. There was a flash of a girl his age. The
brief image evoked an emotion that he couldn?t put into words, a deep
longing of sorts.
He sat bolt upright on the sofa. His breath was short. His
muscled tensed and he flushed, embarrassed by the thought of longing
for another woman. He had to remind himself that it was only a
dream. But the image of the girl hung in his mind, warmly.
After a few minutes and a couple of splashes of cool water on
his face, he grabbed his bag and headed to the hospital for the late
afternoon shift.
Saturday afternoon was always busy in the emergency room, but
even more so today. There were more accidents, mishaps this day. A
tired feeling prevailed in the big hospital. Darien wondered if
there was a connection between everyone?s exhaustion and the energy
absorption Luna and Artimus had been tracking. He reminded himself
to stay sharp, but had a hard enough concentrating on the tasks at
hand.
His shift dragged into the late evening, but finally ended.
In the locker room he changed back to his street clothes and grabbed
his helmet from the locker. His motorcycle was parked in the garage.
He looked forward to the ride home; maybe the cold air would clear
his mind.
He gunned the engine out of the garage and onto the street.
Two lights later he noticed another bike pull next to him. The
helmet was too dark for him to see who cyclist was, but he admired
the bike openly. A second later the engine revved as the other
biker challenged him.